FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) We’ll get to Captain Kirk in a moment, but first the Fort Wayne Fire Department wants to remind people to be safe while cooking around the holidays. According to the FWPD, home cooking fires are three times more likely to occur on Thanksgiving than on any other day of the year.

Most cooking fires start because cooking areas have been left unattended. It doesn’t matter if you are cooking on a stove inside or using a deep fryer or grill outside, people should always stay where they are cooking.

The FWPD issued a list of safe cooking tips, including cooking with a deep fryer and general tips for cooking in the kitchen.

Deep fryer safety

The deep frying process requires up to five gallons of oil be heated before placing the turkey into the fryer. The following are some of the other tips from the FWPD:

Never use turkey fryers on wooden decks, balconies or inside garages.

Make sure turkey is completely thawed and dry before placing it in the fryer.

Don’t over fill the fryer with oil.

Check out this 2011 video from State Farm Insurance featuring William Shatner:

Safety in the kitchen

Stay in the kitchen when cooking on the stove

If you have to leave the kitchen, even for a short period of time, turn off the stove.